Marion Raven facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Marion Raven
Raven in Thailand in 2007
Background information
Birth name	Marion Elise Ravn
Also known as	Marion Ravn
Born	(1984-05-25) 25 May 1984 (age 41) Lørenskog, Norway
Genres	Pop pop rock post-grunge alternative rock
Occupation(s)	Singer, songwriter, musician, presenter, voice actress, actress
Years active	1993–present
Labels	EMI Records (1996–1998) Atlantic (1998–2006) Eleven Seven (2006–2010) Playroom Music (2010–2012) Blackbird Music, Sony Music, RCA, Epic (2013–2016) Blackbird Music (Distribution by The Orchard (2013–present)
Associated acts	M2M, Marit Larsen. Meat Loaf, Lisa Miskovsky, Magnus Grønneberg

Marion Elise Ravn, known as Marion Raven, is a singer and songwriter from Norway. She was born on May 25, 1984.

Marion started a pop duo called M2M with her friend Marit Larsen. They stopped making music together in 2002. After M2M, Marion became a solo artist. Her first solo album, Here I Am, came out in 2005.

In 2006, she joined a new music label, Eleven Seven. She then released an album called Set Me Free in 2007. It had songs from her first album and some new ones. Marion started working on her second album, Songs from a Blackbird, in 2012. It was released in Norway on April 8, 2013.

She has also written songs for other singers, like Pixie Lott. Marion also voiced Rapunzel in the Norwegian version of the movie Tangled.

Early Life and Music Beginnings

Marion was born in Lørenskog, Norway. Her father is a teacher. She has one older brother and two younger sisters. Her last name, Ravn, means 'Raven' in Old Norse. She chose Marion Raven as her stage name and uses a raven as her symbol.

Marion loved singing from a young age. She often wrote lyrics for the songs she sang. At age 5, she joined a gospel choir at a local church. When she was 7, she joined the St. Laurentius choir. This choir has a long history in Lørenskog. Her vocal coach, Kjell Walther Christensen, started it in 1965 and still runs it.

By age 8, Marion began playing the piano. She also took ballet lessons and performed on stage. In 1993, she acted in the musical "Sound of Music" in Norway. She recorded a children's musical called "Vettene Vinner" (Vettene Wins). She was part of the group "Vettene," which means "small trolls that protect nature." They released a record called "Vettene på gamlespor" (Vettene on Old Tracks). When she was 10, Marion acted in stage shows like Bugsy Malone and The Wizard of Oz.

M2M: A Pop Duo

In 1995, Marion's father helped her record a demo in a studio in Oslo. She recorded it with her childhood friend, Marit Larsen. The two friends got a record deal with EMI Norway. They formed a pop duo called M2M. A year later, they released a children's album. It was titled "Marit og Marion synger kjente barnesanger," meaning "Marit and Marion Sing Well-Known Children Songs." M2M was nominated for the Norwegian Grammy, Spellemannprisen, the next year.

In 1998, M2M started recording pop songs in English. They signed a record deal with Atlantic Records. They worked with many songwriters from around the world. In 2000, they released their first album, Shades of Purple. It sold many copies. Their first song, "Don't Say You Love Me", was on the soundtrack for Pokémon: The First Movie. This song was very popular. It reached No. 21 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

Their second album, The Big Room, came out in 2002. They recorded it in a studio in Woodstock, New York. After touring the world to promote The Big Room, M2M joined Jewel on her "This Way" tour. They performed as the opening act. M2M later broke up in September 2002.

After M2M, Marion was offered a solo recording contract. She also wrote songs for other artists. She co-wrote "Pointless Relationship" for Australian singer Tammin Sursok. She also helped write "That Day" for Norwegian singer Maria Arredondo. In 2004, she co-wrote "Disconnected" for Lindsay Lohan's first album.

Solo Music Career

Here I Am (2005)

After signing with Atlantic Records, Marion Raven started recording her first solo album. She worked with famous songwriters and producers. These included Max Martin, Rami, Chantal Kreviazuk, and Raine Maida. This was from 2003 to 2005.

At first, the record company was unsure about Marion's new rock image. They also worried about her darker, more personal songwriting style. Marion had to work hard to make the rock music she wanted, mixed with pop. The album had 14 songs and was called Here I Am. It showed Marion's change from M2M's pop music to a more rock-focused style. The album was released in many parts of the world, including Norway, Japan, and Southeast Asia.

Here I Am had three popular songs: "End of Me", "Break You", and "Here I Am". "Break You" became Marion's best-selling song around the world. All three songs were successful in Asia. Marion toured there to promote the album. The album was released in Norway on August 10, 2005. It reached No. 6 on the music charts there.

Set Me Free (2006–2007)

In early 2006, Marion announced she was leaving Atlantic Records. This was because of "artistic differences," meaning she wanted to make different music than the label. Marion later confirmed she signed with an independent label called Eleven Seven Music. This label was created by her management team.

World Idol winner Kurt Nilsen and Raven performing "It's All Coming Back to Me Now" at Tusenfryd amusement park in StatoilHydro on August 22, 2007.

Marion later sang a duet with rock musician Meat Loaf. They performed a version of the song "It's All Coming Back to Me Now". This song was released in October 2006. It was the main song from Meat Loaf's album Bat Out of Hell III: The Monster Is Loose. The song reached No. 1 in Norway. It also made it into the top ten in Germany and the United Kingdom. Marion joined Meat Loaf on a big tour in Canada and Europe in February 2007.

In 2004, she recorded the theme song for the US version of W.I.T.C.H.. This was an animated TV show based on a comic book.

Marion later said her new album would have new songs and old songs from her Norwegian debut. It would also have re-recorded songs like "Heads Will Roll." American musician Nikki Sixx helped with this song. It was released as an EP in October 2006. Before her album Set Me Free came out in March 2007, she toured in The Netherlands, Germany, and the United Kingdom. Marion also went on another tour in the UK. She performed in British schools. Later, in July and August, she opened for Pink on her "I'm Not Dead Tour" in Germany. The album was released in June 2007. It had two singles: "Falling Away" and a re-release of "Break You".

Nevermore (2008–2010)

In 2008, Marion appeared in the music video for "Saints of Los Angeles" by the band Mötley Crüe. In 2010, she became a judge on the Norwegian TV talent show The X Factor. She later judged on Norwegian Idol.

Marion recorded her third album, Nevermore, in 2009. It was planned for release in 2010. However, due to problems with her record label, Eleven Seven Music, it was never released. Two songs from it, "Flesh And Bone" and "Found Someone," were released only in Scandinavia.

Songs from a Blackbird (2012–2014)

Raven at the Nordic Media Festival (2013)

Marion released the song "Colors Turn to Grey" in March 2012. In October 2012, she said she was working on new music for an album. In March 2013, Marion released "The Minute." This song was from her second album, Songs from a Blackbird. The album came out on April 5, 2013, in Norway. It was her first album in eight years. Songs from a Blackbird reached No. 3 on the charts in Norway. The album was also promoted with a third song, "Driving," and a tour in Norway in 2013.

International Version

Before a worldwide release, Marion re-released "The Minute" as an international single. It was available on iTunes on July 25, 2014. In August and October 2014, a worldwide version of Songs from a Blackbird was released. It included songs from the Norwegian version and three new songs. These new songs were from her later projects, Scandal Vol. 1 and Scandal Vol. 2. For some countries, it was released as a physical CD. For others, it was only available digitally.

Scandal Vol. 1 and Scandal Vol. 2 (2014–2015)

In January 2014, Marion announced she would record her third album. She had signed with Sony Music. The album was later named Scandal. It was planned for release in September 2014. However, the album was split into two parts. Scandal Vol. 1 was released on September 22, 2014. Scandal Vol. 2 followed on February 2, 2015.

Mellom disse 4 vegger (2019)

In May 2019, Marion released her first song in Norwegian, "Tyv." In July 2019, she released "Fritt fall" as the second song for her Norwegian project. The album, Mellom disse 4 vegger, was released on October 11, 2019. The album includes a duet with Magnus Grønneberg. They worked together during the TV series Hver gang vi møtes.

Personal Life

Marion briefly dated Zac Hanson in 2000. This was when M2M toured with Hanson. Marion said the M2M song, "Everything", was about her breakup with Hanson. She also wrote another song about the relationship. She called it "Jack" instead of "Zac." This song was later released by Pixie Lott.

After dating for several years, Marion married professional snowboarder Andreas Wiig in 2013. They divorced in 2015. In September 2023, Marion gave birth to a son.

Hver gang vi møtes TV Show

Marion Raven was on the second season of the Norwegian reality TV show Hver gang vi møtes. She appeared with other Norwegian music artists. These included Morten Abel, Ole Paus, Anita Skorgan, Magnus Grønneberg, Kurt Nilsen, and Lene Marlin.

Marion Raven performed these songs by other artists during the show:

• "Casanova" (originally by Anita Skorgan)
• "Bullet Me" (originally by Morten Abel)
• "Unforgivable Sinner" (originally by Lene Marlin)
• "Never Easy" (originally by Kurt Nilsen)
• "Når Du Sover" (originally by Magnus Gronneberg)
• "Nerven I Min Sang" (originally by Ole Paus)

Other artists sang Marion's or M2M's songs on the show. This was during the "Marion Raven's Day" episode:

• "Found Someone" Covered by: Lene Marlin
• "For You I'll Die" Covered by: Anita Skorgan
• "Here I Am" Covered by: Magnus Gronneberg
• "Don't Say you Love Me" (originally by M2M) Covered by: Ole Paus
• "Girl In your Dreams" (originally by M2M) Covered by: Morten Abel
• "Everything" (originally by M2M) Covered by: Kurt Nilsen

Other Projects and Voice Acting

Marion has written several songs for other artists. These include:

• (2004) "Completely In Love" for Tommy Michaelsen's album Completely in Love.
• (2004) "That Day" for Maria Arredondo's album, Not Going Under.
• (2004) "Pointless Relationship" for Tammin Sursok's album, Whatever Will Be.
• (2004) "Disconnected" for Lindsay Lohan's album Speak.
• (2007) "Jack" for Pixie Lott's first album, Turn It Up.
• (2009) "Forgot His Name" recorded by Tanita Kolsås for X Factor Norway.
• (2009) "It's Not Over" recorded by May Kronfeld (May K).
• (2010) Marion's song "In Spite of Me" was covered by Swedish singer Erik Grönwall.
• (2011) Marion voiced Rapunzel in the Norwegian version of Disney's movie Tangled.
• (2016) Marion voiced Poppy for the Norwegian version of DreamWorks Animation's movie Trolls.
• (2017) Marion played the role of Eponine in the Norwegian stage show of Les Misérables. The play started on September 8, at the Hotel Folketeateret in Oslo.
• (2017) Marion voiced Rapunzel again for the Norwegian TV series based on Tangled.
• (2024) She was one of the two hosts for Melodi Grand Prix 2024. This show selects Norway's entry for the Eurovision Song Contest.

Awards and Recognition

• In 2005, Marion was nominated for the Nordic Music Award for her album Here I Am.
• She was nominated for "Best Norwegian Act" at the MTV Europe Music Awards 2006.
• In 2015, Marion won the 'Best International Act' award at the "Musik Fach-Awards" 2015. She was also nominated for "Album of the Year." She performed an acoustic version of her song "The Minute" at the ceremony.

Tours and Performances

Charity Work

Marion has performed at several charity events:

• She performed at the President Star Charity Concert in Singapore in 2005.
• She performed at the Norwegian Salvation Army Charity Concert in Lillestrøm in 2005. She also performed at the Pink ribbon Show in Oslo that year.
• In September 2007, Marion performed in Mainz-Kastel, Reduit. This was for a UNICEF benefit show to raise money for Africa.
• In December 2007, Marion performed with Aleksander Denstad With. He was the 2006 winner of Idol Norway. They performed at the Norwegian "Idol Gives Back" show.

Music Releases

Studio Albums

Singles

Other Appearances

See also

In Spanish: Marion Raven para niños